13 of the Best, Scariest, Most Genre-Crushing Feminist Horror Movies

The horror film is not often associated with feminism. Our mental image of the genre too often involves scantily clad women running away from predatory monsters, human or otherwise. But, in fact, horror is actually one of the film genres that has done the most to explode, often in spectacular ways, conventional representations of gender.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, 2014

A mysterious female vampire stalks an Iranian town and, in the process, exposes its secrets.This dreamy, beautifully filmed Persian-American flick draws from both the horror and Spaghetti Western traditions, and immediately became an inspiration for independent horror filmmakers.

Dracula's Daughter, 1936

Dracula's Daughter is an all too often overlooked Universal Studios monster gem. Gloria Holden stars as Countess Marya Zaleska, a hypnotic vampire who is forced to bear her father's legacy. She also demonstrates a strong attraction to women, thereby initiating the cinematic trend of the lesbian vampire.

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Alien, 1979

Yes, this is often categorized as sci-fi. But Alien makes us jump and recoil at the monster in a way that can only be defined as horror. As Ripley, Sigourney Weaver is one of the toughest action heroes ever seen on screen. The sequels are also necessary viewing.

The Bride of Frankenstein, 1935

Who can forget the monster bride's proto-punk rock, streaky beehive? Or the piercing scream she releases when she sees the creature whom she was made to marry? This early horror film is surprisingly radical in its rejection of male and female gender roles.

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Carrie, 1976

A teenage girl gets her period and everything goes to hell—especially prom. Although the film suggests that there may be something horrific about young women, it also forces us to think about the monstrous ways in which society—parents, friends, schools—tries to shape them.

Ginger Snaps, 2000

This early film from the director of Orphan Black takes the Carrie menstruation theme and turns it on its head. Here, girls become werewolves when they get their periods and have to confront a world that is all too ready to neutralize their powers. An anthem to the perils and thrills of female adolescence.

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Halloween, 1978

All hail Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, slasher queen and "final girl" extraordinaire. Her character inspired subsequent depictions of strong onscreen women who prove to be more than a match for the monster. See where it all began.

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It Follows, 2014

Forget the whole "teenagers who have sex die" paradigm of the horror film. In this dread-full film, you have to have sex to survive a deadly curse. Annie is a new kind of final girl, who has to break the rules of the genre and the adult world to stay alive.

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Let the Right One In, 2008

This Swedish film will make you cry as much as it will terrify you, thanks to its beautiful, touching depiction of friendship between a young bullied boy and a young vampire. Fans of Stranger Things' Eleven will have a soft, gooey spot for the vampiric Eli.

Rosemary's Baby, 1968

This is one of those cases in which you want to separate the director from his work—I would never call Roman Polanski a feminist, but I would argue that this film is. Rosemary's Baby is a surprisingly honest and intimate portrayal of the expectations, disappointments, and even horrors that can accompany pregnancy. And the lullaby that begins and ends the film will haunt you for a long time (it's my ringtone).